Never Be Broken
by Emeria-Cori
Summary: Thousands of years ago, the founders built Hogwarts. Among the students admitted during it's first year of existence, were Tara and Ava Daney...This is their story. They must try not to fall apart as the great Hogwarts battle begins...
1. Prologue

Prologue "At last, our school is almost complete," Godric Gryffindor said excitedly as three of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry stood proudly outside the entrance of the enormous castle. 

"What a wonderful sight this school is!" Helga Hufflepuff yelped, stretching her arms outward to show her friends the building. Four round towers stood high in the sky on top of an ancient looking castle, engraved with statues and gargoyles. The detailed carvings of the rock castle gave Hogwarts a wealthy, royal style as well as a unique character.

"All that is left to do is hire our teachers and we are done this project," Rowena Ravenclaw said, turning to her co-founders, "Where on earth is Salazar? We have our first interview for our staff in just ten minutes!" Both Helga and Godric shook their heads unknowingly and began up the stone steps to the entrance. The floors inside the school were brand new marble and shined in the candlelight. Hundreds of clean, white candlesticks illuminated the hallway and rooms of the brand new Hogwarts. Where in the world these four witches and wizards came up with the name of this school, could not be determined. None of the people who came to Hogwarts cared. Approaching quickly was the grand opening day of the school, which had been chosen by Helga herself. She had chosen her birth date, September first, to be the beginning of the school year for all time, as long as the school would still teach.

"Godric do you know where he is?" Rowena continued, her voice vibrating with worries, "You are his best friend, you should know!" Godric was oblivious to any knowledge of Salazar's whereabouts. He shook his head and checked the large sundial at the edge of the wooden platform.

"We better proceed to the Great Hall," Godric told his co-founders, "That is where we will be interviewing. Both women nodded, still looking around as they walked, trying to find Salazar Slytherin. It was no surprise to any of them that the man who held Slytherin as his surname was the one to be careless. Salazar Slytherin was a very intelligent and power-hungry man with jet-black hair and blazing orange eyes. His eyes set him apart from the rest of his friends along with his amazing power as a _parseltongue_. Many people disliked Salazar because of his aggressiveness and constant struggle for power and control. Only one person had ever understood Salalzar and his dark and sly ways. Godric Gryffindor was that lone person.

"Don't worry Rowena," Godric said reassuringly, "Salazar has never let us down before." Godric had always been understanding of people and their immediate mental and physical differences. He had grown up with four sisters who taught him the skill of listening and compassion. Even though he had grown up with four emotional sisters, Godric was far from being the least bit feminine. His thick light brown hair hung a little higher from the tip of his ear and always appeared full and clean. His piercing blue eyes, though shockingly beautiful, were calm and comforting to anyone who looked upon them. Godric seemed to be completely different from his best friend mentally as well. No one could ever dampen Godric's bright spirit and his deep love of his world. Along with his manly good looks and delightful personality, Godric's braveness charmed witches of all ages and ranks.

"Here we are," Helga gushed, smiling more happily than ever as they entered the completed and simply breathtaking Great Hall. As she pushed the huge oak doors open, all three of them felt proudly of their hard work and imagination. The idea of the ceiling changing to suit the mood of the people around it came from the creative mind of Helga Hufflepuff. Helga was the shy witch of the bunch and usually didn't announce her wonderful ideas loudly. In fact, she usually told her thoughts to Salazar or Godric, since both were not afraid to speak their minds. Since Helga had always been a tiny bit bigger around the middle, she had been teased as a young witch. Because of her harder childhood, Helga always tried to be nice to everyone she met and keep her secret insecurities to herself. None of her friends had ever understood why she felt so shy around wizards her own age, because Helga had gorgeous curly strawberry blonde hair that bounced at her shoulders and the sweetest smile that they had ever seen.

"You know Helga I saw that you were voted the best smile in Witch Weekly," Rowena Ravenclaw exclaimed, giving her friend a small hug, "You looked beautiful in the pictures." Helga stood proudly and thanked Rowena as they sat down on one of the newly polished benches at the Ravenclaw table. The last, and probably the bossiest, out of the four founders of Hogwarts was Rowena Ravenclaw. Rowena had arranged most of the plans for the new school and had completed most of the paper work. This was simply because Mrs. Ravenclaw was a perfectionist in everything she did and would probably hold the title of the most intelligent witch ever. Rowena gained her name Ravenclaw from marriage, not from her uncanny resemblance to a raven. She had a very large nose and straight dark brown hair that slightly resembled the sharp features of a bird, but she also had wonderfully soft facial structures. Her eyes, for instance, were a very pale blue that glittered in the light and her cheeks were always brushed with a dash of rose.

"We need to hire the best of the best for this school," Rowena stated with no hesitance or room for argument, "My baby will be here next year and we must make it so he will become the best wizard he can be." The "baby" she was speaking of was her son Dominique, who in just one year would be old enough to attend Hogwarts. Besides Rowena, none of them were married or had any children, which proved to be good for work. Because Rowena had a child, the others guessed they would be seeing her the least throughout the school year. Suddenly the door slammed and the three adults snapped their heads in the direction of the heavy doors. There stood a man with jet-black hair and a crooked, pale face, beside a heavyset woman wearing the ugliest dress that any of them had ever laid their eyes on. Yellow and pink polka dots covered the middle-aged woman from head to toe. Even her high heel shoes were splattered with tiny little yellow dots.

"Oh my," Rowena whispered, so only Godric and Helga could hear. Although all three of them wanted desperately to crack up laughing, each of them knew they were on the job and no insulting of the job applicants was allowed. While Godric and Rowena sat chuckling to themselves, Helga stood up and glided over to the two figures.

"Hello, Mrs…"Helga realized she did not know the strange woman's name. From the start they could tell this woman would be the perfect teacher. She seemed to be strangely happy and immediately gave Helga a huge hug.

"I'm Betty Weiss," she announced loudly, hurrying over to the table where the others sat, "I was so impressed that you sent a tour guide for me. Salazar, here, was very helpful and he has a great sense of humor, don't you Salazar? He just loved my jokes didn't you?"

"Sure, whatever you want," Salazar mumbled, sitting on the opposite side of the table next to Godric. Leaning over to his friend, Godric whispered softly.

"Sense of humor? You?"

"I just zoned her out the whole time; I couldn't tell you what she was talking about. I do believe I heard something about her ears and orange pickles one time, but I couldn't confirm it," Salazar answered, appearing to be on the verge of laughter himself. Godric smiled and started to listen as the women founders began to interview Mrs. Weiss.

"So…Betty….What experience have you had in the field of child education," Rowena asked, her voice still cracking from laughter.

"Wonderful experience," Miss Weiss answered, cupping her hands in her lap and flashy them a toothy grin. The four interviewers waited patiently for Miss. Weiss to continue, but no more came.

"Well that's great Miss Weiss, but we really would like to know what kind of…." Rowena started, but was rudely cut off by Godric.

"Um… how about another question," Godric insisted, "How well do you work with teenagers?"

"Wonderfully," Miss Weiss chirped, proving that her interview would go absolutely _wonderfully_.

"I can't believe you actually hired her," Salazar snorted three days later after they had finally made their decisions on the teachers for Hogwarts.

"Don't worry Salazar, Miss Weiss will be a wonderful Charms teacher," Rowena giggled. Salazar shook his head, obviously not looking forward to spending a year with her.

"So this is our final list then?" Godric asked, scanning the paper quickly.

"Yes," Helga sighed, happily but softly, "I think we're done." All four of them sat inside the Great Hall once again checking over their list of teachers and staff.

**Staff list:**

Salazar Slytherin _(Headmaster/Potions)_

Godric Gryffindor_(Headmaster/Defense Against the Dark Arts)_

Rowena Ravenclaw _(Headmaster)_

Helga Hufflepuff_ (Head-Headmaster)_

Leslie Marsden _(Transfiguration)_

Daniel Bennion _(Herbology)_

Betty Weiss _(Charms)_

Connie Lehman _(Care For Magical Creatures)_

Joseph Jackson _(Arithmacy)_

Patricia Trawleny _(Divination)_

Ruth Muggleworth _(Muggle Studies)_

Conrad Davidson _(Study Skills)_

Madeline Larson _(Flying Lessons)_

Catherine Boyerman _(Head of Mealtime Department)_

Jack Bodman _(Gamemaster)_

Terry Radshaw _(Quidditch Head)_

" Great! Now we need to chose who will be invited to attend Hogwarts!" Godric exclaimed, pulling out a piece of blank parchment, "The names of magical beings between the ages of 11-17 will show up on this paper and we will say whether we should ask them to attend or not." Salazar pointed his wand at the brown piece of new parchment and cast a spell. Immediately it flew of the table and floated in the air right in front of the four witches and wizards. Suddenly ten names appeared in black ink.

"Wow, I guess these are in no specific order," Helga whispered, her voice sounding awed and excited, "The first name is Laura Brown, her information is here….oh no, we can't have convicts in our school." The name disappeared instantly from the parchment and they all started to call out the names from the paper.

"Patty Leonard….no….Jessica Boardman…yes….Roland Weasley…yes….Sara Dorrington….no….Albus Dumbledore……yes….who else…" Godric could tell that something was bothering Salazar.

"What's wrong Salazar?" Godric asked, stopping the parchment and turning to his friend. Salazar was ready to speak his mind.

"I do believe we should be choosing our students by blood, don't you? Purebloods are better at magic and should be treated like they are better at magic.," Salazar said, almost as if he was ordering his co-workers to follow his directions. All three shook their heads.

"No Salazar. We must allow all different types of magical children to enter our school. All deserve a good education," Godric told him, bringing up the parchment once more. Next two names came up together. Godric noticed this and pointed it out to his friends.

"I guess those two girls are twins," he said, ordering the parchment to show them the files of the two girls, "They look like very nice and smart girls and they could probably be useful to the school….Tara Daney and Ava Daney….send them a letter."


	2. The Beginning of it All

"Oh, how wonderful! My babies are going to Hogwarts!" Evelyn Daney squealed, clutching a clean piece of parchment between her chubby fingers. Evelyn Daney, also known as "Mum" to her children, glanced at her daughter Ava before whipping around and hurrying towards the wooden stairway beside the kitchen. Ava rolled her eyes and followed her mother who was practically making the house shake as she ran up the old, creaking stairs.

"Mum, calm down!" Ava shouted, watching as her mother marched over to the narrow closet beside the bathroom door and pulled out a large black suitcase. Dust filled the air as Mrs. Daney hauled the suitcase over to Ava's bedroom doorway. She suddenly stopped and took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from her forehead. It was perhaps the hottest day of the year and no one was free from the suffocating heat. Ava fanned herself with her hand, feeling moisture form everywhere on her body from her feet to the part in her light brown hair. Mrs. Daney turned to face her daughter and smiled sweetly.

"I just knew that my babies would get into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" she squeaked, grabbing the handle on the suitcase once more, "From the moment that Helga Hufflepuff…such a sweet lady, she has a beautiful smile…announced that they were going to open a brand new magic school, I just knew that my children would be smart enough to receive an invitation to attend!"

"Yeah, I guess it's cool," Ava agreed, smiling back at her mother, "Why don't we wait for Tara to come home before we start to pack. I think she'll probably want to help, don't you think?" Almost like clockwork, Ava heard a door slam shut and a rumbling sound as someone hurried up the stairs.

"What are you all doing up here? Don't you know that heat rises?" Tara Daney panted, out of breath from running crazily up the stairs. Ava and Tara Daney were 15 year old fraternal twins, both born with the same creamy skin and bright blue eyes. Only, Ava had straight light brown hair that hung in thick layers down below her shoulders, while Tara had longer hair in wavy dark brown curls that twirled carelessly around her round face. Unlike most twins, both girls never seemed to fight with each other and surprisingly enjoyed much of the same things.

"Oh, Tara! We're celebrating! You and Ava have both been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! We have to pack immediately so we can go to Diagon Alley to buy some things," Mrs. Daney cried, heaving the dusty suitcase all the way into Ava's room. Tara glanced at Ava skeptically, not quite sure she wanted to move away from home to attend a stuffy boarding school.

"It's not stuffy Tara darling!" Mrs. Daney called from inside the room, having read her daughter's fragile mind.

"I really wish she wouldn't do that," Tara mumbled, angry at her mom for rummaging through her private thoughts. Tara and Ava's mother was born with a special power to be able to read other people's minds, which both Tara and Ava had inherited. Neither girl knew very many witches or wizards their own age, having lived most of their lives surrounded by muggles. Of course, they took annual trips to the newly formed wizarding town of Hogsmeade and enjoyed the sights and rumble of main street Diagon Alley, so they were not ignorant to who they were. In fact, they were actually quite good at magic and loved to entertain their muggle friends with their powers. Every one of their classmates just thought Ava and Tara were special and gifted, none of them had ever been told of the wizarding world and, according to their mother and father, they never would. It was all too dangerous.

"Get used to it sis," Ava sighed and started to walk toward her room, "After all, we are going to a magic school with other witches. I'm sure there will be other mind-readers."

"Yeah, I guess," Tara mumbled, turning to go to her room, "Will there be _wizards_ as well?" Ava stopped and turned, a huge smile stretching across her face.

"I'm guessing by your huge rush of happiness that there _will_ be boys there," Tara questioned, her own smile emerging. Ava winked at her sister before disappearing into her room. Tara shook her head happily and stepped through her doorway, pushing aside the real jewels and gold that hung from her door frame. The Daney's were not the richest magical family in the world, but they weren't poor either. Many of the twins' muggle friends couldn't believe all the jewels and precious metals that were hung, draped, nailed, and displayed around the Daney home. In reality, the family could pretty much turn anything they wanted into silver and gold or rubies and diamonds. Tara had once turned her old mathematics homework into a collection of sapphires, while Ava tested her abilities by transforming a broken teacup into a shiny, polished peridot, which so happened to be green, Ava's favorite color.

"Hoy! Where's the nasty little witches who live in this here house?" a male's voice echoed through the house. Tara leaped off the bed, where she had been flipping through a copy of _Witch Weekly_, and rushed into the hallway. There she met Ava and together they raced down the stairs and wrapped their arms around the tall boy who stood at the door.

"Aidan! Have you been accepted as well? Huh?" Ava asked, not able to hide the excitement in her voice.

"Tell us!" Tara demanded, taking his hand and urging her sister to take the other. They both gripped his hands tightly, awaiting his answer. His face fell.

"Well, Tara…Ava…"his gloomy eyes shifted from one twin to the other, "I…I…" All of a sudden his face lit up again, "Of course I'm in! I couldn't leave you girls alone to drown in your sorrows of going to a stuffy old boarding school by yourselves!"

"Fabulous!" Ava and Tara yelled in unison, hugging him again before slapping his forearm.

"Ow! What was that for? Have you two gone completely wonky?" Aidan questioned, rubbing his forearm, but not acting seriously hurt.

"You made us think for a second that you weren't accepted! I don't know what I would have done if you weren't coming with us," Ava told him. Tara nodded in complete agreement.

"Sorry Ava, sorry Tara," Aidan said, the smile on his face showing them that he wasn't being entirely sincere, "It's just so funny to watch you two get all worked up."

"You haven't seen us worked up yet," Tara told him, placing her fists to her hips, "Believe me, we can be fierce."

"Of course I know that," Aidan said, but taking a step back, "I've been your best friend since I was what? Two?" All of a sudden Mrs. Daney came down the steps, flashing Aidan a smile.

"Yep, ever since you three were babies," Mrs. Daney giggled, reminiscing, "You know Aidan, when you were three you used to run around our backyard naked when we had your family over for dinner. I do believe I have pictures." Ava and Tara giggled loudly, as Aidan's face turned a deep red. He glanced nervously at Ava and then looked to the floor. Mrs. Daney noticed this and walked over to ruffle his short dirty-blond hair.

"Oh don't worry, you were _cute_," Mrs. Daney said, handing him a small dusty suitcase and clapping her hands together to release the dust from her fingers, "Help them pack and don't encourage my daughters to think negatively about Hogwarts, it will be the best experience of your life. I don't know why all of you seem to think that it will be stuffy." The three teenagers watched as Mrs. Daney crossed the large foyer and vanished into the Daney kitchen.

"Maybe because it will be stuffy," Ava grunted, beginning to walk toward the stairwell, "I have to get packing. Mum said that we must leave for Diagon Alley tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Tara wailed, rushing after her sister. Aidan followed the two girls, sneezing loudly from all the dust that rested like a thick blanket on the small suitcase.

"God bless you," Ava and Tara called to him together, just pausing for a second before starting to complain again. Aidan swatted the dust particles as they floated aimlessly around his head, until he finally gave up and ran up the stairs. First stop was Ava's room, where she had already begun pulling books, charcoal drawings, and magical objects off her shelves. In the middle of her room sat a huge black suitcase, already half full with all her clothes. Tara was no where in sight.

"Where's Tara? In her room?" Aidan asked, gazing at the mess Ava was creating on her bedroom floor. She stopped and wiped her forehead, where small sweat drops were forming from the excruciating heat.

"Yeah, probably," Ava answered, standing up and walking over to him, "Can I ask you something?" Aidan narrowed his eyes, wondering why she sounded so serious.

"Yeah, of course Ava," Aidan said, trying to sound casual, not serious, "What's on your mind?"

"Well…I think Tara has been a bit…sad lately," Ava confessed, sitting down on her bed and inviting Aidan to take a seat as well. He walked over and plopped down beside her, resting the dusty suitcase on the floor.

"Do you think it's because of her falling out with Jared?" Aidan asked, "Your family doesn't see him as a fitting suitor now. She really seemed to like him as a possible match some day. She hasn't seemed the same since."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Ava said, sighing loudly before continuing, "I think the fact that he thought she was too weak a witch really hurt her. I mean, he wasn't all that powerful himself. We're just as good as him at magic. He just thinks he's the best because he's a parselmouth like his uncle." Ava paused and looked into her best friend's eyes, "I'm worried about her. Ever since then she's been obsessed with improving her powers and trying to meet his standards. Personally, I just don't know why she's bothering. He's nothing special, just a conceited boy who never thinks about anyone else besides himself. I will never let a guy affect me in that way if he's not worth it. In fact, I don't want a boyfriend. It's all too…annoying."

"You don't?" Aidan questioned, his eyebrow rising, "Well…anyway…I agree with you. She needs to snap out of it. But it's only been two weeks since they broke up. She'll get over it once the whole Hogwarts thing starts." Ava managed to give him a little smile and stood up.

"I hope you're right," Ava whispered, before kneeling on the floor next to her suitcase, "Well, I better finish packing and you should give Tara that suitcase. If she doesn't start packing now, she'll never finish."


	3. A Splitting Decision

Diagon Alley was as busy as ever and for Ava, Tara, and Aidan, this meant that they were going to have to push and shove their way through many crowds to fetch their supplies. Witches and Wizards of every shape and size gathered in Diagon Alley every year, but now with the opening of three magic schools, Hogwarts, Beuxbatons, and Durmstrang, new stores needed to be opened and more supplies needed to be made. Before this year, no magic schools had existed and the new generations were taught by their parents alone. Now the young witches and wizards would be formally taught. Most were very excited about this new progression in the magical world, while others preferred their magical children attending one-room school houses like the muggle children did.

"Catch up darlings, we must get to the Wand shop at once!" Mrs. Daney called over the rush of loud voices all around her.

"Mum, we already got our wands! Don't you remember?" Ava yelled back, as Tara rolled her eyes at her mother's brain lapse. Aidan opened the bag he was holding and peered inside; searching for the _Olivander's_ box he knew was hidden below piles of school robes. Next to him, Tara also sifted through her bag and pulled out a long, skinny box with the heading _Olivander's_ displayed on the top in flowery gold lettering.

"Yeah, mum. I've got mine right here," Tara screamed, jolting the woman who stood right beside her at the _Witch Weekly_ stand. The old witch gave Tara a nasty look and went to serve a customer, huffing miserably the whole time.

"Sooorrrryy," Tara droned, rolling her eyes once again. Mrs. Daney gave a playful slap to her forehead and rushed back over to the teenagers.

"Sorry dears, you know how my mind just flies all over the place when I'm excited," she said, receiving a warm smile from Ava, who had just finished check listing everything in her bag.

"I think we're done mum, after we get our cauldrons of course," Ava turned around and pointed to a medium sized building twisted and shaped as a large cauldron.

"Alright Ava. You three go on," Mrs. Daney suggested, now spying the _Witch Weekly_ stand, "I just want to have a peek at the new pictures for the Smile Award. I heard Helga Hufflepuff won! Such a darling woman!" With that, Ava, Tara, and Aidan ran across the dirt road and entered the cauldron shop. Inside it was dark and dreary, as a person would expect it to be, it being a cauldron. All around the three teenagers were more future magic students grabbing, pulling, and pushing to get the cauldron they desired. Ava, Tara, and Aidan gazed around the room, their mouths open in amazement.

"There are so many people….everywhere," Aidan observed, taking a step forward, followed by Ava and then Tara who sprinted across the floor in pursuit of a rather beautiful cauldron. It appeared to be a very expensive cauldron, being it was one of the only non-black selections in the whole inventory. The handles were beautiful with one a silver carving of a lion and the other handle a silver carving of a slithering snake. Tara stared open-mouth at the cauldron for a good many seconds before finally reaching up to take it off the shelf. Ava and Aidan walked up behind her.

"It's wonderful Tara! Are you going to buy it?" Ava asked, tracing the silver lion with her fingertip.

Tara nodded and said "Yeah, I think I will buy it." She began to walk to the checker but stopped abruptly, causing Ava and Aidan to walk right into her back. Up ahead was Jared, Tara's ex-boyfriend, holding the very same cauldron in his hands. He glanced over at the three of them, standing and staring at him then smiled when he saw the cauldron in Tara's arms. He shook his head, laughingly, before stepping to the counter and purchasing his cauldron. Ava put a weary hand on Tara's shoulder as a small tear slid gently down her cheek. Immediately, Tara wiped the lone tear away and took a deep breath.

"You could pick another one…"Ava started but was cut off by Tara, who gave a small exasperated "No".

The young wizards and witches gazed in awe at the castle that stood before them. In their tiny boats they felt so inferior, so small, to the large gothic style structure that was picturesque and beautiful, but also very foreboding at the same time. It was the vision of castle that could touch the sky and lead you to the clouds; a tower that could bask in the soft glow of the moon, but still be tall enough the reach the burning sun. Ava and Tara both let out a faint whisper of "wow", which seemed to be echoed by the hundreds of other witches and wizards spread out across the large body of water, waiting to enter one of the first ever magic schools in the world. None of them had ever seen a school so majestic and enchanting. It was definitely grander and nicer than the one-room-school houses muggles used for studies these days.

"Students, listen to me!" a deep and gruff male voice yelled from a few rows ahead of Ava and Tara. He stood, almost tipping over the boat, causing a few of the younger girls to scream. He gained his composure and cleared his throat loudly. Tara and Ava glanced at each other quickly before tuning into the man's announcements.

"Cheers everyone! I'm Professor Bennion. Many of you…actually all of you will be in my Herbology classes this year and for the many years to come. Unless you're a 7th year already, then well…" he paused and turned to see the boats coming to a stop up ahead, "Well I guess I don't have time to explain everything to you now. Just improvise, okay? Great, everyone off the boat and welcome to Hogwarts! I'm sure you'll be in for a very fun year!"

"Now the sorting for the 5th years will begin!" Professor Hufflepuff called, giving a little clap of excitement, "Step up closer darlings. I will call you all up one at a time like I did the 6th and 7th years. Just sit on the stool and our sorting hat will do all the work for you. Look how beautiful this hat is. I absolutely adore hats. I had this one specially made and if I do say myself he looks better than new…"

"He? It's like a person?" a high-pitched male voice, probably a first year, questioned from the back of the Great Hall.

"Yes! He talks to you as he chooses your house. He's rather remarkable if I do say myself. He should last for hundreds to thousands of years I'd say…" Professor Hufflepuff was stopped by Professor Ravenclaw, who was now whispering something to her from across the large staff table.

"Well, alright Rowena. I'm starting, you don't need to be so snappy," a girl beside Tara giggled quietly at this and covered her mouth in shock as Professor Hufflepuff called her name.

"Come on Lonnie," the professor urged, flashing Lonnie her award winning smile. The girl, apparently named Lonnie, seemed to tiptoe her way up to the redwood stool and paused almost 10 seconds before sitting down on it. As Professor Hufflepuff placed the sorting hat on her head, she shut her eyes, squeezing them tightly. After a few seconds of watching the hat come alive and speak silently to her, it screamed loudly, making Ava jump slightly.

"Hufflepuff!" the hat bellowed. As Lonnie stepped off the stool, Professor Hufflepuff jumped up and down, bringing Lonnie in for a big bear hug.

"My first 5th year student for Hufflepuff! How wonderful!" Professor Hufflepuff screeched, refusing to let go of Lonnie, who's face began to turn a light shade of purple.

"Helga, let the girl go!" Rowena ordered, sending her friend a devilish glare. Aidan tapped on both Tara and Ava's shoulders.

"I don't want to get into Hufflepuff for the sole reason that I don't want to suffocate in one of her hugs," he joked, smiling when both girls laughed.

"Aidan Hayes!" the professor yelled, stretching her neck to watch Aidan walk up to the platform. Ava gave him a pat on the back as he ran up to the stool and jumped on it, certainly not afraid to hear the name of his house.

"Gryffindor!" the hat roared, as claps erupted from all ends of the Great Hall. Tara noticed a tall, muscular man cross his arms happily at the end of the staff table. She recognized him as Godric Gryffindor, the head of Gryffindor house. She found him quite handsome.

"Roland Weasley!" A tall, lanky boy with flaming red hair walked up and took his seat.

"Gryffindor!"

"Sasha Saloum!"

"Slytherin!" Cheers erupted from the end table on the opposite side of the Great Hall, which was covered with a beautiful woven green tablecloth.

"Zachariah Brussel!" A somewhat plump boy patted one of his friends on the back and climbed up the steps. Tara turned and whispered in Ava's ear, "He must be wealthy. He can certainly afford food." Her voice didn't sound mocking or mean, it just sounded casual. Ava nodded, agreeing with her sister. In her community, people with a little more meat on their bones were glorified and said to be the wealthiest people because they could afford to eat hearty meals.

"Ravenclaw!" the boy smiled and ventured over to the Ravenclaw table, where he joined his older borther, who appeared to be in 7th year.

"Tara Daney!" Ava gave her sister a small smile as Tara scurried through the crowd and ran up the steps, excited to finally know which house she would be in. It took the hat a while to contemplate Tara's house. Underneath the hate, Tara could hear it speaking to her.

"You have a wonderful gift. Mind-reading is very rare! Use it wisely and you could become a very powerful witch. You will have to keep your anger in check; do not become too cocky Miss Daney. I guess your house should be obvious. SLYTHERIN!"

Tara jumped off the stool and ran over to the Slytherin table, where she was greeted with hugs from both the girls and guys. Finally, they all settled down and Tara took her seat, saving the one right next to her for Ava.

"Jared Kelley!" Tara let out a groan and, on the other side of the room, Ava glared angrily at the boy as he pushed her out of his way on his path to the stool.

"Very sorry Miss Daney," Jared said sarcastically, giving her a wink, "I didn't see you there." Ava crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her right eyebrow in disgust. To the disappointment of both sisters, the sorting hat was final on all of its decisions.

"Slytherin!" the hat yelled, Jared giving a bow as he stepped off the stool. Ava looked around in disgust as most of the girls in the room swooned and clapped loudly as he made his way to Tara's table. Tara, Ava could see, was shaking her head furiously.

"Ava Daney!" Professor Hufflepuff yelled, "Wow. The first twins we've had yet!" Ava shot her a small smile and glanced over at Tara, who frowned with Jared having picked the seat right beside her, the seat Ava was sure was saved for herself. Then Ava peered over at the Gryffindor table, where Aidan has his fingers crossed in hope that one of his best friends would join him. Once Ava had plopped her bottom on the warm stool, Professor Hufflepuff placed the hat atop her head. She could feel the hat ruffle her hair as it moved slightly with every word it spoke.

"Ah, another Daney! Interesting….very interesting. You and your sister seem to have one mind. Both of you enjoy the same things, have the same skills up to date, the same gifts…GRYFFINDOR!"

"What?!" Ava spat, staring unbelievably at the hat as Professor Hufflepuff lifted it from her head. All the applause and yelling was deafening as Ava gave Tara a short shrug of the shoulders and began to walk to the Gryffindor table, where Aidan was awaiting her.

"Welcome to Gryffindor Ava!" Aidan said happily, giving his friend a hug.

"Thanks Aidan," Ava answered, glancing across the room and meeting her eyes with Tara's, "I'm glad to be with you too."


	4. Two Different Perspectives

"_Balderdash_," Godric Gryffindor said gruffly to the portrait of a rather large woman that seemed to be some kind of door. Ava stood on her tiptoes to set herself higher than the towering 7th year boys who had rudely not thought to stand in the back of the large group of Gryffindor students. Beside Ava stood Aidan who, though taller than Ava, had still not reached the peak of his height growth.

"Well, hello Godric! Our very first day in business! I'm so happy. I've been so lonely just sitting in this portrait for the last couple of months with no one here but Lord Cambridge over in the portrait across the hall. He snores Godric! You should tell him to stop!" the fat lady ordered him, pointing her index finger directly at his nose. Ava was sure that if The Fat Lady had been an actual living body, that she would have poked him directly between the eyes.

He gave a great laugh that seemed to shake the floor and gave his reply, "Don't worry Babs. I'll talk to Lord Cambridge about his snoring problem. Though I do not expect him to stop."

"Well…just try dear. That's all I can ask…or maybe I'll just sing at him…" the fat lady thought out loud, trying not to look Godric in the eyes.

"No Babs! No singing. You'll wake up the children when they're sleeping," Godric told her sternly, but with a gentle smile appearing on his face, "Please let us through now. I'm sure these children are very tired and are anxious to be the first ever classes to lay their eyes upon the Gryffindor House Common Room!" Cheers erupted as the portrait hole opened, allowing all the students to run inside the Common Room. Ava could hear lots of "ohs" and "ahs" and a few "brilliants" as she tried to push her and Aidan's way through the group. She, her mouth wide open and here eyes sparkling, stopped abruptly and gazed around the large room. Aidan pulled her arm so they would move out of the pathway of the rest of the Gryffindor students who were still filing into the Common Room.

"Wow," Ava whispered breathlessly, walking forward. The room was rather large and definitely spirited. Most of the fabrics and carpets and paints were the Gryffindor House colors. People laughed as they sat down on the couches half-circling around the brilliant fireplace, which already, in the end of summer, had a blazing fire that crackled and sparked beautifully within the hearth. Ava could feel herself subconsciously smiling, realizing the happiness and wonder of what was before her took over her body completely. Beside Ava, Aidan was observing his surroundings as well, his eyes bulging and his mouth wide.

"Welcome everyone! I am so delighted to finally meet my very first Gryffindor students! I am sure you will have a very exciting year. First, though, I must tell you some ground rules about Hogwarts," his face turned serious and his eyes seemed fixed out the window on what seemed to be a giant mass off black smoke. Instead, she would find out that it was the Dark Forest. She knew right away that it would be off-limits to all students.

"That forest at the far end of the Hogwarts grounds is forbidden to all who do not want to suffer an untimely death," Godric told them, with no sign that he was joking. Aidan gulped and peered down at Ava, who stood a few inches shorter than him. For a moment they met eyes, both a little intimidated by everything in the magical world. It all seemed so dangerous.

"Also, students will be reprimanded if they walk through the corridors at night without a proper escort. It is the same with the outdoors after dark," Godric stopped when he saw all the frightened faces of the students, many of them still glancing nervously out the window at the Dak Forest. He gave the students a warm smile and he seemed to loosen up more, making everyone feel a little more relaxed.

"Children, you will have a wonderful time here at Hogwarts. We have used all means possible to ensure that you are safe within these grounds and I will do all in my power to keep it that way. Any questions?" Ava and Aidan looked all around them, trying to see if anyone would actually ask the Headmaster a question. As expected, one lone boy raised his hanf in the air, slowly but surely. Godric's smile didn't falter as he nodded his head approvingly at the small boy, who seemed to be one of the youngest wizards in the whole Gryffindor house.

"Are we to have a feast as grand as tonight's every evening?" he asked, his voice showing that he had not reached his full manhood. Suddenly, Godric began to laugh, his chest rising and falling immensely, his bellows long and gruff.

"Yes…Albus, is it?...Yes, we will have fine meals here every evening, afternoon, and morning. You shall not be disappointed," Godric reassured him. The young boy smiled devilishly and licked his lips, turning to a boy beside him and whispering in his ear.

"Well everyone, I do believe you all should be off to your bed chambers Your names will be posted on the door of your rooms. Remember that the people you share your bedroom with will stay with you till the end of your Hogwarts run, so please be civil. Goodnight everyone! Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Godric gave everyone a tiny wave and exited through the Fat Lady portrait. Immediately, all the students raced up the stairwells toward the boys and girls dormitories. When they reached the top Ava and Aidan exchanged their "goodnights" before both walking in opposite directions. Ava approached the door and realized that she was the only girl left in the hallway outside the dormitories. She took one last look around her and then opened the wooden door.

"Ohhh!" All of a sudden Ava was pushed to the floor, landing hard on her back. Another girl, about Ava's age fell on top of her, both their legs and arms twisted painfully. The girl's dark brown eyes met Ava's and she immediately jumped to her feet, taking Ava's hand and trying to lift her up from the floor.

"I am so sorry!" the girl apologized, her eyes looking scared and truly regretful, "Are you alright Miss? I did not mean to hurt you. I just forgot my bag and desperately needed my face wash. Please accept my apology. My heart will stop beating if you do not forgive me. I shall be ruined! I…"

"It's alright, I'm fine!" Ava assured her, finally standing on her feet again, "Don't worry about it. Just, please, don't call me _Miss_ again." The girl blushed slightly, forming a nice contrast with her pale skin and beautiful curly, blond hair.

"Well, alright if you say so. My mother always taught me to say Miss to those I do not know personally. My mother likes everything…clean and proper," the girl told Ava, "Including me."

"What's your name?" Ava asked the girl, instantly taking a liking to the girl. With that question, the blond girl's face lit up.

"My name is Emery," she chirped, reaching out her hand, assuming Ava would shake it, "Emery Marrieta. What's your name?"

"I'm Ava Daney," Ava said, reaching down and picking up a bag that sat a few feet from the doorway on one of the sitting chairs, "This must be yours."

"Oh yes. Thank you Mi…Ava," Emery said, "You must be my third roommate. I already met the other two. Their names are Layla and Felicity. They are quite wonderful. Shall we go upstairs? I'll show you where our room is."

"Of course. Thank you Emery," Ava said, giving her roommate a smile, "I can't wait to meet them and see the room. Are you a fifth year?"

"Yes. Though I don't know many other fifth years myself. I have a little brother named Andrew in the second year and an older sister named Elizabeth in seventh year, but I don't know many others," Emery answered her, dragging her bag up each step, one at a time.

"I'm in fifth year as well. I don't really know many people either. I just know my friend Aidan, who is a fifth year in Gryffindor, and my twin sister Tara."

"You have a twin sister?" Emery asked, finally reaching the top of the steps, "Is she in Gryffindor?"

"No," Ava said, her smile falling, "She's in Slytherin."

"Welcome to Slytherin," Salazar Slytherin greeted his students, giving each one a cold stare. Tara twirled her thumbs around each other nervously, glancing about her at the people surrounding her. Unlike Ava, Tara didn't know anyone from the Slytherin house and she wished desperately that she had been sorted into Gryffindor with Ava and Aidan. For a few moments she zoned out, thinking of how horrible her life at Hogwarts would be without her sister with her. Beside Tara stood a really tall boy, who was staring directly ahead at Salazar Slytherin, his lips curling into a tiny grin.

"…Those are the rules everyone. You must abide by them at all times. I expect you are all Half-bloods and pure-bloods in this room. Are there any muggle-borns here?" Salazar asked, his eyes darting from one end of the room to the other. Suddenly, the tall boy standing beside Ava raised his hand slowly into the air. As soon as Salazar's eyes reached the boy's elevated hand, his eyes narrowed and he took a deep breath.

"Fine," Salazar snapped, his nostrils flaring angrily, "Everyone proceed to your dormitories. Hurry! I need my sleep. It's been a…" he glanced at the tall boy beside Tara, "…very long day." The tall boy gulped and tried to dodge Salazar's accusing eyes. In that moment, Salazar Slyhterin whipped around and rushed through the door and into the hallways of Hogwarts, which were still illuminated brightly by the candles that outlined the corridors. Instantly the Slytherin students dashed to the stairwells, some stopping to laugh at the muggle-born boy, whose tan skin couldn't even hide his deep blush. Tara began to turn around and hurry up the stairwell with the other Slytherin girls but decided to stop to talk to the muggle-born boy for a moment. After all, she had never met a wizard who wasn't pure-blood.

"Um…excuse me," Tara said, trying to get the boy's attention, "Are you alright? You seem a little….off." The boy turned and looked down at Tara, his height making him at least 3 inches taller than her. After a few seconds of staring at her, unbelievingly, he gave her a small smile.

"I'm fine. I just don't really like him that's all," the boy glanced nervously back at the door where Salazar had exited and then peered around the common room, "In fact, I don't really like being in Slytherin House at all."

"Me neither," Ava agreed, looking around herself. The Slytherin Common Room just seemed so cold. Large stone pillars held up the walls and there appeared to be very few open windows. The fire in the stone hearth was burning brightly, but not with the normal yellow glow of a warm fire. Instead the fire seemed to be totally blue and green, giving a slight chill to the room and the students standing by it. The couches were a dark black and green, which Tara didn't find as comforting as she wanted.

"It's just so cold in here," the boy continued, walking towards the steps, obviously assuming Tara would follow, "Plus, it's obvious he didn't want any muggle-borns in his house."

"Well I don't mind having you here," Tara told him, making him blush even more, "I do wish I was in Gryffindor House though. I have a twin sister named Ava in that house, as well as one of my best friends. His name is Aidan. He's a really funny boy actually…What is your name?"

"Oh, I'm Bradley Dorrington. I usually just go by Brad," he told her, pausing for a few seconds, "Your name is Tara right?"

"Yes," Tara was taken aback that he knew her name, "How did you know that?"

"I got sorted before you," Brad explained, "I'm a sixth year."

"Oh," Tara turned away for a moment, subconsciously pulling her hair behind her ears, pretending to gaze at the stairway.

"Come on, we should go up to the dormitories," Brad suggested, walking quickly past her but stopping at the bottom of the steps to wait for her.

"Okay, that's probably a good idea," Tara said, walking to keep up with him, "I don't want to get the bed facing the window, do I?"

"No I guess not," Brad laughed, holding out his arm, motioning for Tara to go up the stairs, "Ladies first."

"Why thank you kind sir," Tara joked, flashing him a smile and walking lightly up the steps. Once they both made it up the stairwell, they paused.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Tara," Brad said, his blush still not disappearing. Tara could feel her face heating up and could almost imagine how red her face must have looked.

"Yes, I'll see you then," Tara said, quietly but not so that she was whispering. At that moment both of them rushed through their separate dormitories, pulling the doors shut behind them. Before heading up to her room, Tara decided to stop and take a breather and reflect on everything that had taken place that day. At last she smiled and walked down the hallway, whispering to herself, "Maybe being in Slytherin won't be so bad."


	5. Gryffs and Slyths

It was almost 11:30pm at the Hogwarts castle. Most of the students were sleeping soundly, except for the special few who couldn't force themselves to go asleep after the exciting day they had just experienced. The night was silent and dark, but three people were still wide awake, talking, laughing, and planning for the coming months.

"I think our first day went very well, don't you think Rowena?" Godric Gryffindor asked, his voice sounding bright and enthusiastic. Rowena was staring down at the house lists, her reading glasses perched on the tip of her nose. She nodded her head slowly but surely. Helga Hufflepuff, who was sitting with them on the purple silk couches, clapped her hands proudly and pulled the Hufflepuff list from the top of Rowena's pile and beamed at it proudly.

"It's all so wonderful! These children are absolutely adorable!" Helga said, her smile not even disappearing as Rowena snatched the lists from her fingers.

"Don't celebrate yet Helga," Rowena warned, taking off her glasses and placing them in a small handkerchief before hiding them away in her desk drawer, "We haven't even begun our classes yet. That starts tomorrow. There's still so much to do. Where is Salazar?"

"I'm not sure. The last time I saw him was right before he went in to explain everything to his House students," Godric told the ladies, lifting his tired feet onto the matching purple foot stool in front of the couch, "But I'm sure he'll be here soon. He loves this office." The office they were all sitting in was the headmaster's office, which all four of the founders shared equally. Attached to the lounge area were the main office room and the four separate bedrooms for each of the founders.

"What did I ask you Godric?!" someone yelled from behind Helga and Godric. Rowena gazed upwards, her eyes pointing directly behind Godric. He lifted himself off the couch and came face to face with a very angry Salazar Slytherin.

"What's wrong Salazar?" Godric asked, sheer worry outlining his face. Salazar noticed this and calmed down a little, lowering his voice level as well.

"There is a muggle-born in my house! I specifically asked you to tell that…thing," Salazar turned and pointed to the sorting hat, which appeared to be sleeping at the top of a very tall shelf, "To not allow any muggle-borns into Slytherin. Obviously, you didn't or it just wasn't listening hard enough."

"I'm very sorry Salazar, but the hat refused to discriminate against the wizards and witches attending this school. Anyway, I thought that since you really did not want muggle-borns in your house that that energy would reach the hat and it wouldn't sort them into Slytherin. Plus, isn't there only one muggle-born? That's not too bad and I'm sure your attitude toward muggle-borns will finally dissipate after you interact with one."

"I highly doubt it," Salazar spat, giving the sorting hat a nasty look before disappearing into his bed chamber. Godric sighed and sat back down, rubbing his eyes, suddenly feeling tired.

"Rowena, who is the muggle-born in Slytherin House?" he asked her, watching attentively as she found the Slytherin House list. She opened the same drawer that she had placed her glasses in and reached her hand inside, emerging a few seconds with her wand. She tapped the paper 4 times, whispering a spell herself. Finally, her eyes scanned the list and she peered up at Godric and Helga.

"His name is Bradley Dorrington," she muttered, sounding extremely exhausted herself.

"Alright. Well, I think we better have a little talk with him tomorrow," Godric pushed himself to his feet, his hip bone cracking as he stood up, "In the mean time, I think we all better get some sleep. We have a long year ahead of us."

"Get up sleepy head," a soft voice whispered in Ava's ear, "It's time for our first breakfast at Hogwarts!" Ava grunted and rolled over to find her roommate Felicity's nose only about 2 inches from her own.

"Come brush your teeth Licy before you get that close to Ava's face," her sister Layla joked, grabbing Felicity's arm and pulling her away from Ava's bed. Felicity gave her sister a horrified look and rushed into the washroom. It only took a few seconds before Ava and Layla could hear her slashing water from the wash basin into her mouth and spit the water out into the bucket beside it.

"_Disgustimentrie_!" Felicity yelled from the washroom, making the dirty water disappear to wherever it went. Nobody was quite sure where the spell sent it. Ava scrunched her nose and lifted her head off her soft feather pillow. Over on the opposite end of the room, Emery was starting to stir, her blond curls resting gracefully across her face.

"Do I have to get up," Emery mumbled as Ava finally forced herself to get to her feet and travel to her nightstand. Ava opened the wooden drawers and collected every piece of her new Hogwarts robes and turned to Emery.

"Believe me," Ava told her, pausing to yawn, "It's easier if you just get up and don't whine about it."

"Alright," Emery muttered, punching her pillow and driving herself to sit up with her left fist. Just as Ava was slipping on her robes, Felicity rushed into the room, heaved her nightstand drawers open and searched through her clothes, her arms flailing excitedly. A lone wool sock flew through the air and brushed past Ava's cheek, which surprised her. She whipped around to stare at Felicity, who had already found all of her robes and was rushing to get them all on as fast as she could.

"Where's the fire?" Ava asked, finishing her dressing and raising an eyebrow at Felicity.

"Did you forget that you told Brad you would meet him early this morning?" Layla spoke up from near the window, where the bright light of morning was shining through the glass and forming tiny rainbows all throughout the room. Felicity nodded and ran out the open doorway.

"Brad, huh?" Ava questioned, her voice sounding interested, "Do they fancy each other?"

"Yes, of course. They met in Diagon Alley over the summer. He's a 6th year and she's a fifth year," Layla told Ava and Emery, who were both finished putting on their dress robes and sitting on their separate beds, awaiting her answer, "He's a muggle-born you know."

"A muggle-born? What's that?" Ava asked naively, her head swiveling between Emery and Layla.

"You don't know what a muggle-born is? You aren't one are you?" Emery asked, waking over and sitting beside Ava, "Muggle-borns are wizards and witches born to non-magical parents. I've never met any myself."

"He's a nice boy, though I do wish that she wasn't being courted by someone in my year," Layla said, finally done putting on her robes and lifting her sack of morning class book from the floor.

"You're in sixth year?" Emery asked, sounding surprised, "But I thought you and Felicity were twins."

"No, we have a year between us," Layla told them, stepping out the door, "Come on. Breakfast will be served soon."

"Let's go," Tara yelled from the dormitory hallway, waiting impatiently for her roommates to finally finish their dressing.

"We're coming Tara!" Celeste called from inside the room.

"Yeah, just wait a moment!" another girl yelled in a high-pitched voice, which Tara recognized as her blond roommate Ashlyn's accent. Tara leaned against the wall, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. After her talk with Brad the previous night, Tara hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep with all the thoughts racing through her mind. She couldn't yet tell whether these feeling she felt for him were platonic or if they were something more. _I mean, I've only spoken to him once. How can I possibly fancy him_? Those thoughts crowded her brain, making her unable to focus on anything else, even the two girls who were stumbling out of the bedroom. She didn't notice till her third roommate, Linnea, came running out the doorway and stomped directly on Tara's toes.

"Oh!" Tara and Linnea both yelped, though one was in pain while the other was just surprised.

"Don't just stand in the doorway Tara!" Linnea observed Tara's stance, her eyes floating up and then down her frame at least three times, "Plus, it is not proper to _lean._" At once Tara stood up straight, completely taken aback by Linnea's rudeness. As Linnea strode past Tara, Celeste, and Ashlyn, all watched her carefully, noticing the way she swayed her hips gracefully when she walked and how each step she took seemed as light as a feather and how her dark brown hair sashayed back and forth beautifully. She was so prim and proper, certainly more proper than anyone Tara had ever met.

"That girl needs to stop saying such horrible things," Ashlyn spoke up, pulling on both Celeste's and Tara's sleeve as they walked down the hallway toward the stairs, "She just thinks she's special because her family donated large sums of gold toward this school."

"Well…we should give her a chance," Celeste suggested, as they exited the common room and walked down the corridors, now becoming filled with Hogwarts students. Up ahead they could see Linnea's dark brown head talking with a younger girl and Tara searched around the hallway desperately for Ava or Brad.

"Tara!" Ava's voice rang from behind Tara. She spun around and ran into the arms of her sister, who she had not seen since the previous night in the Great Hall. They squeezed each other tightly and then split apart, both girls having a set of friends surrounding them.

"Is that your twin sister, Ava?" Emery asked, giving Tara a bright smile.

"Wow, you two look a lot alike," Celeste observed from behind Tara, looking between both twins.

"I need to tell you about Brad," Tara whispered in Ava's ear, giving her a small wink before greeting Aidan, who was running toward the group of girls.

"Hello Tara! How was Slytherin's Common Room?" Aidan asked, glancing at Ava and then back at Tara.

"It was alright, a little dim though," Tara told him, looking over his shoulder, "Do you know a Slytherin boy named Brad? I really would like to talk to him."

"Oh, the boy named Brad that Felicity was going to meet?" Layla guessed, pointing her finger at two figures near the Great Hall entrance way, "He's over there with my sister." Ava watched helplessly as Tara's face fell, her eyes darkening slightly. As Tara watched Brad, she noticed Godric Gryffindor walking toward him, looking very stern. Once Godric had reached him, she saw him pull Brad aside, excusing Felicity who came running over to her sister, looking flushed.

"Let's go take our seats now," Felicity said, pulling her sister with one arm and giving Brad a little wave with the other as they walked by.

"Look at Salazar Slytherin," Emery said, gazing past everyone's heads, at the tall man across the hallway. He was glaring at Godric Gryffindor, his tongue tracing the inside of his teeth. Ashlyn looked away from him and then to Godric, who was still talking with Brad.

"I don't think Professor Slytherin likes Professor Gryffindor very much," she said, trying not to gaze back at Salazar.

"Yeah, I guess not," Ava agreed, also noticing his menacing look.

"Ah, so rivalries begin," Aidan joked, using his hands to excite laughter from the girls.

"I don't think so," Celeste told them, "Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin have been best friends since childhood…what could possibly ruin that now?"


End file.
